Chaos reigns in Beni.
Even before a note was sounded there were plenty of indications this gig was going to be an eventful one. Frontman Farris Rotter walked in a perpetual circle psyching himself up for the show as the tension grew.
There's been a lot written about The Horrors, the vast majority of which has not focussed on the music so let's not buck that trend just yet. They have an intriguing look, Farris is extremely thin and the keyboard player looks like Noel Fielding when he dressed as a panda in an episode of The Mighty Boosh.
When Rotter was dizzy enough, the opening track was pretty hypnotic, brimming with chaotic energy. He may have indie cred but the singer is a complete showman, encouraging fans to throw objects (a pepper soon ended up on stage) and watching as a crowd member goes surfing over the top. He may be treading the line between illness and brilliance but the band are musically pulverising all set, forming a tight backdrop for rock n roll antics, which were plentiful.
In the space of the show Rotter took a stage light from its moorings and shone it into the crowd (twice), hit a mirror ball with his microphone stand and broke the stage clock. At one point it looked as though a security guard was waiting ominously to get the singer but as far as we could tell, he remained unscathed.
A cover of 'Jack The Ripper' was utterly bewitching, a cauldron of noise that seemed designed to split opinion and with 'Count In Fives' appearing as the set closer, it was probably for the best that the band made a sharp exit, allowing everyone to draw breath.
It's true the music can be overlooked with The Horrors but it's not because it's bad, the set was great in a sonic assault manner, it's just the other elements can be so overpowering.